2024-09-05 Ignite Your Network - Sparking Connections for Career Success Using Design Thinking

Speaker: Becky Farone URL: https://hireready.heysummit.com/talks/networking-workshop/

• Networking is really helpful

• Why networking matters (and why it’s actually exciting)

  • You often feel like you don’t have much choice, control, connection, creativity, trust, growth
  • Networking helps with all of these.
  • Trust: Networking allows others to establish trust for you
    • They vouch for you

• Your networking superpower is authenticity:

  • the more you try to be someone else, you end up in the wrong job

• Design thinking

  • A problem solving methodology from the design
  • 
  • Similar to PDCA: (plan, do, check, act)
  • Similar to Agile
  • Step 1: Empathize:
    • Understanding others and yourself
    • Who are you?
      • Present. Past. Future.
      • 
    • What is important to you now in your work/career?
    • What does your community care about?
    • What do you stand for? (values)
    • Who are you? How can you best explain that to your network?
    • What type of networking suits you best?
  • Step 2: Define
    • Clarify your networking targets?
    • What type of people will you connect with?
    • Who do you know in each type, or category?
    • What are you asking for?
    • Why do you think this type of person can help?
    • The Career Networking Persona Organizer
      • Spreadsheet: Fireworks Coaching Networking Organizer - 083024 - Google Drive
        • Click File > Make a copy to edit your own copy
      • 
      • a tool to keep track of people you know in your network
      • similar to a CMS
      • This is an ongoing process. It should be done periodically, even when you are not actively job seeking.
  • Step 3: ideate
    • Ask yourself Who might I know
  • Step 4: Prototype
    • Experiment
    • Start with people who are friendly with you
    • Just DO it.
    • Track results - what worked? What didn’t?
  • Step 5: Test and Repeat
    • make it a daily habit
    • keep track of your progress
    • check and adjust
    • keep your network alive
    • be of service to others

• What to ask for?

  • Make it easy for someone to say yes.
    • Offer scheduling times
      • try using Calendly or similar tools.
  • Make it genuine
  • Ideas of what to ask for:
    • An update, a thank you, an intro request, an appreciation, an offering, ask if you can take them out for coffee or beer

• Introverted? Try this:

  • Ask someone you know if they can introduce you to someone you don’t know

• Overcoming networking challenges:

  • Nervous?
    • focus on where is the joy? What’s in it for you.
  • Made a mistake?
    • focus on what did you learn?
  • Procrastinating?
    • focus on what will you gain if you do reach out.